endemic mycoses treatment with suba-itraconazole vs itraconazole

Conditions: Invasive Fungal Infections

Summary: this is a prospective, multi-center, randomized, open-label parallel arm study involving patients with proven or probable invasive endemic fungal infection to ascertain the pharmacokinetics, safety, efficacy, tolerability and health economics of oral suba-itraconazole compared to conventional itraconazole. patients will receive randomized open-label study drug (suba-itraconazole or conventional itraconazole) over a 42 day period and then continue therapy until day 180. patients will be stratified based on clinically reported infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (hiv).

this is a prospective, multi-center, randomized, open-label parallel arm study involving patients with proven or probable invasive endemic fungal infection to ascertain the pharmacokinetics, safety, efficacy, and tolerability of oral suba-itraconazole or itraconazole. patients will receive randomized open-label study drug (either suba- itraconazole 130 mg twice daily or itraconazole 200 mg twice daily) over a 42-day period and then continue on their assigned open-label therapy until day 180. the study sample size will be 80 evaluable patients - target enrollment (three arms: approximately 40 histoplasmosis, 20 coccidioidomycosis, 20 other endemic fungal infections).

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: 1. male and female patients age \> 18 years who have given written informed consent to participate 2. patients with a proven or probable endemic mycosis (histoplasma, coccidioides, paracoccidioides, blastomyces, sporothrix, talaromyces marneffei (formerly penicillium marneffei) according to current eortc/msg (mycoses study group) criteria, including patients who: * are immunosuppressed, including as a result of hiv/aids * have had a heart, lung or bone marrow transplant * have had chemotherapy for cancer * are otherwise normal hosts exclusion criteria: 1. significant liver dysfunction as evidenced by at least 5 times greater than upper limits of normal baseline alt (alanine aminotransferase) , ast (aspartate aminotransferase), alkaline phosphatase, or total bilirubin. 2. use of an alternative antifungal therapy (iv or oral) for more than 14 days for this infection, with the exception of coccidioidomycosis. subjects with coccidioidomycosis who previously received fluconazole therapy for more than 14 days may be included, if in the opinion of the investigator, they are having an inadequate response or, are intolerant of fluconazole (e.g. due to adverse events). such subjects must washout from fluconazole for 7 days (\~5 half-lives of fluconazole) before starting investigational therapy. 3. evidence of cns (central nervous system) infection. 4. unable to take po medications. 5. female patients who are lactating or pregnant. women should be: 1. postmenopausal for 1 year, 2. post-hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy, 3. if of child bearing potential have a negative β-hcg (human chorionic gonadotropin) at screening and using highly effective method of birth control throughout course of study or remain abstinent for duration of study. 6. documented intolerance, allergy or hypersensitivity to an azole. 7. inability to comply with study treatment, study visits, and study procedures. 8. known history of congestive cardiac failure on medical treatment, fungal endocarditis, or other causes of ventricular dysfunction that may outweigh the benefit of itraconazole. 9. patients with active tb (tuberculosis) 10. concurrent use of astemizole, rifampin/rifampicin, rifabutin, ergot alkaloids, long acting barbiturates, carbamazepine, pimozide, quinidine, neostigmine, terfenadine, ketoconazole, valproic acid, or st. john's wort in the 5 days prior to first administration of study drug. 11. any known or suspected condition of the patient that may jeopardize adherence to the protocol requirements or impede the accurate measurement of efficacy. 12. treatment with any investigational agent in the 30 days prior to study entry. 13. patients unlikely to survive 30 days (including severe fungal disease defined by systolic blood pressure (sbp) \< 90; hypoxia \< 60). 14. patients with body weight \< 40 kg.

Keywords: histoplasmosis coccidioidomycosis blastomycosis